


Brave

by Ginge89



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 20:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14144418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginge89/pseuds/Ginge89
Summary: This is a random piece of word vomit that was birthed from a conversation on Twitter between myself and Gootbuttheichou, and considering today is Eren's birthday I thought why not post it as my first work in celebration!It's pointless and ultimately an excuse for me to gush about how perfect Levi is, just from someone else's point of view!Not beta'd so any mistakes are my own. I see Eren as roughly 16/17 in this, and as there's no juicy stuff and I'm from the UK (where the age of consent is 16) I haven't tagged it as underage.





	Brave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gootbuttheichou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gootbuttheichou/gifts).



> This is a random piece of word vomit that was birthed from a conversation on Twitter between myself and Gootbuttheichou, and considering today is Eren's birthday I thought why not post it as my first work in celebration!
> 
> It's pointless and ultimately an excuse for me to gush about how perfect Levi is, just from someone else's point of view!
> 
> Not beta'd so any mistakes are my own. I see Eren as roughly 16/17 in this, and as there's no juicy stuff and I'm from the UK (where the age of consent is 16) I haven't tagged it as underage.

“Arlert!” Levi’s voice cuts through the din in the mess hall with ease as he steps through the doorway, calling the blonds attention before he reaches the edge of his chosen table.

“Captain.” 

“Have you seen Eren? He was supposed to report to me before supper for cleaning duty.”

Not that he particularly needs help to clean his office but… well, the little shit’s grown on him these past 12 months. Once Levi was able to look past that small bit of hero worship that Eren just couldn’t seem to let go of he found himself enjoying the time they spent with one another. Listening more attentively than normal when Eren would tell him of the fights he would get into with other children in Shiganshina because of how they had treated his friend, his gaze lingering a bit too long on the strip of skin that would show as Eren stretched to reach a high shelf that needed dusting, or on his lips when they stretched into a grin after leaving Jean speechless in one of their fights...

“He didn’t show?!” Armin’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts just time, he’s noticed they’ve become less than innocent these days. His eyes focus back to the table and he has to bite his tongue at the horrified look on the kid face. “He told me he had stable duty when I saw him last, perhaps he’s still out there? I could go check-”

Levi doesn’t hear the rest of the sentence, already halfway out of the mess hall before Armin can finish.

~~

“Hi, girl.” Eren lays his hand on the horse's snout, giving her a pat as she leans into him. He’d heard her whinny the moment he stepped foot into the stables earlier but he’d had duties to carry out before he could let himself get distracted. She’d only grown more impatient as he saw to his own horse, huffing regularly as if to remind him that she was there. He supposes she’s much like her owner in that way, although he may be happy to follow orders Captain Levi is never one to be ignored when he has something to say.

“Is he rubbing off on you hmm?” he asks as he reaches into the bag he’d managed to sneak out of the kitchen that morning, a smile pulling at his lips as Levi’s horse moves from hoof to hoof in excitement at the sight of the apple he pulls out “he’s good at doing that. Even Jean has picked up his cleaning habits and well… we all know how bad he was when he first joined the squad.” Her head nods, and although Eren knows it’s her impatience to receive her treat he can’t help but laugh as he imagines her agreement. “It’s not a bad thing though, there are far worse people to be like than Captain Levi.” He pauses and his smile grows as it always does when he thinks of the man who used to be his prison guard, now just his Captain but someone he wants to be so much more. “I mean he’s loyal, he’s patient, he’s strong - which we all know but not just physically. When I think of all he’s been through, everything he’s lost and… he’s still strong despite it all, it’s awe-inspiring.” Eren sighs and then the words just keep coming. “He trusts so deeply, just look at the Commander and the things Levi will do for him without question. He trusts _me_ , trusted me when not many people did. And so brave, never afraid whether it be to say what needs to be said to the higher-ups, to Commander Dawk or to charge into a horde of titans. Ok so maybe his humour can be a bit poorly executed at times but it can still make me laugh. Even when I look out at those walls trying to imagine a world in which we don’t need them anymore and can’t, knowing that he has never given up, that he can still find it in himself to make those jokes in a shitty attempt to make someone on the squad feel just that little bit better… that keeps me going. His kindness surprised me at first but it shouldn’t have, he’s just so-so _good_ ” His rambling ends when the horse whinnies and nudges at his face. “Sorry, am I boring you?” She whinnies again and Eren goes still as he realises that she’s not asking for attention or food, that’s her greeting, one she only gives to him and one other person. It means his Captain is here and has most definitely heard at least part of his private ramblings.

“Shit.”

~~

_Shitshitshitshit._

Levi didn’t mean to listen. He arrived at the stables with every intention of dragging Eren out by his ear if he had to and demanding to know why he neglected to follow a direct order but the sound of Erens voice had slowed his steps. He wanted to know who he was talking to, not for any particular reason, of course, certainly not to see if he’d snuck in there with someone to be alone but there was no other voice, and then he heard those words  _awe-inspiring_ and then his name not long after, and he’d quickly figured out who the kid was talking about. His feet had stayed rooted to the spot after that, even though he knew he should move, away or towards the one-sided conversation Levi wasn’t sure but his body just froze.

Now he can feel the heat in his cheeks, his heart hammering faster than it does when facing down a horde of titans. To know that Eren, that stubborn, incredible, beautiful boy thinks all of that about him… How could he have thought what he saw in those stupidly vibrant eyes was nothing but hero worship? He wants to run, knows that if he steps into the stables now and sees Eren smile at him after hearing all of that there won’t be any going back, and that has the potential to end in disaster. But he called him brave. Eren, the one who can find it in himself to mutilate his own body to transform into a titan, the one who has battled against three traitors he once called friends, the one who still walks with his head held high when people whisper about him in the towns he visits. No, Levi won’t be a coward now because Eren thinks he’s brave, and Eren? He’s the bravest person Levi has ever known.

“Jaeger!” He calls Eren to attention as he enters making sure to keep his hands behind his back because they won’t stop shaking. “You were supposed to be in my office over an hour ago!

“Sorry Captain! I was - I got caught up with the horses and” Levi has to bite his cheek to keep from smiling as Eren stutters his way through his excuse “I er - I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you completely missed what I just said?”

“Hmm? Oh you mean that you find me, what were the words..? Awe-inspiring.” He lets the smirk on his face grow as Erens cheeks burn, such a cute little shit.

“I-I’m so sorry Captain, I didn’t realise”

“You really think highly of me, don’t you?” Eren seems to wither slightly under Levi’s scrutiny but it doesn’t take long before he can see that familiar spark light up those ridiculously pretty eyes.

“Of course, Captain.”

“Call me Levi, Eren.” He feels his own cheeks heat at that, knowing that he’s crossing all kinds of boundaries and the kid squirms as his eyes fix on the pink stain, shifting from foot to foot looking for all the world like he’s starting to dance. “Stop that.” It would sound more threatening if Levi wasn’t smiling but dammit Eren is far too adorable for him not to react.

“I’m sorry Ca - Levi. I can’t help it”

“Well try, you look like you need to take a shit.”

The stables go silent, even the horses seem to have stopped moving. It lasts just long enough for Levi to worry that his ability to link everything back to some kind of bowel movement may have completely fucked this up for him, and then Eren’s laughing. It breaks through him in a giant guffaw, his whole body thrown into it and his eyes crinkling under the weight of the smile that lights up his face and Levi tries to remain stoic but he can feel his insides turn to goo as the sound washes over him, it’s beautiful. He brings his hands from behind his back, placing one over his stomach in a feeble attempt to tame the honest to god butterflies he can feel tickling his gut and letting the other hang lamely by his side. Eren’s eyes focus on Levi’s movements as his giggles subside. He wipes his eyes and takes a step forward, and with yet another display of bravery tentatively reaches for the hand resting on Levi’s shirt and threads their fingers together as he pulls Levi closer.

“You can be completely endearing, did you know that?”

Levi takes a deep breath, he’s close enough now that he can smell Eren, feel the warmth radiating off his body. Summoning every ounce of bravery he has within himself he takes one final step closer, muttering a soft “I could say the same to you, kid.” before pressing up onto his tiptoes and slotting their lips together for the first of what he hopes will be a lifetime's worth of kisses.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me
> 
> aimee-ginge.tumblr.com/
> 
> twitter.com/AimeeGinge


End file.
